12/31/10

It's true.
Life really is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer you get to the end,
The faster it goes....

It just seems like yesterday I was training myself to write 2010
and now it's time to write 2011.

This has been one of the most interesting years of my life.
After a year without a job, Ted headed to North Dakota
for 6 months. There we met wonderful folks, enjoyed peaceful places, and bought a house. But before we ever moved in, he moved on to a job in Louisiana.

Here, we've enjoyed our favorite foods and warm weather,
while North Dakota folks are trudging through one of their worst winters ever.

In 2010 I have been to Guatemala, New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana. I have always wanted to travel and see other places. But the thing about living vs.vacationing, is that you get to know people, customs, and history of that place. It's a different perspective than just passing through.

This year, I've been privileged to go on a mission trip to Guatemala, a girlfriend trip to an Albuquerque conference, and many wonderful places with my husband. I have loved visiting different churches and Bible Studies. I was a facilitator for a study in North Dakota, and a substitute Sunday School teacher in a Nazarene Church. And I won fourth place in a chili cook-off in Alexander, ND!

This year is my last year in this decade, as I turn 60 in 2011. I'm beginning to feel older - the body is just tired more often. But it is still the best year of my life. I pray the next 30 years are more of the same - only better.

12/20/10

Grandson, Harrison and I watched an older movie last night, "The Never Ending Story", and some of the lines in the movie are stuck in my head. I think there is a significance there.....

In the movie, the fantasy world of Fantasia is being destroyed by a force called the "Nothing", a void of darkness that consumes everything. The creatures of Fantasia gathered to plead help from the Childlike Empress, and a warrior was summoned from the Plains People.

The child warrior went through all kinds of perilous situations with the wolf-like enemy in close pursuit. The warrior child lost his horse in the Swamps of Sadness, but managed to keep his focus and not be swallowed up by the swamp.

When the warrior child boldly faced the enemy, the creator of the Nothingness, he was told that "People who have no hope are easy to control".

In the end, the child reading the book became part of the story and was asked, "Why don't you do what you dream?". Then the Empress Child said to him, "Call my name. Call my name. CALL MY NAME.", so that the world could be restored to its former glory.

During this season of pseudo celebration of Jesus birth, may we do more than just acknowledge the baby in the manger. May we keep our focus on the upward call of Him who saves us. May we not give in to the Swamps of Sadness. May we CALL HIS NAME with passion. May our hope increase - Christ in us, the HOPE OF GLORY! And may we be the warrior children of God that keep the nothingness from destroying our world.

12/10/10

7 a.m. Coffee in hand, and the house is quiet. Everyone is snuggled under covers oblivious to the orange/pink sun blazing in the east over Midland. I'm sitting in the school room - the floor glistens with glitter and confetti paper of left over art projects. My heart is overflowing with thankfulness for this family He has given me and the choices they have made. Holly home schools two days a week, substitute teaches at their school on Mondays and Wednesdays, executive directs a household, manages our mother/daughter partnership, supports her husband, and loves her parents. Tommy is a hard working, energetic, dad pressured to make the best life possible for his family. And he does a fine job. Many years ago, he was Ted's choice for a husband for Holly - I'm glad they thought so, too.

This morning as I talked to Ted, working back in Louisiana, his heart was full of longing for them. He commented on his loneliness for us all and his remorse for our inadequacies as parents when Holly was growing up. For the times she has carried us in our craziness in her adult years, he wondered, "What can we do for her?".

I kept the kids last night while Holly and Tommy went to the ZZ Top Concert (just because they could). They were precious (the children, not ZZ). Harrison (soon to be 11) is a thoughtful loving child who always has a hug and kiss for his Nana (and of course Mimi when she is here from Guatemala) - I take all I can get in case it stops in the teen years. He must have told me 10 times how glad he is to have me home. Hannah is not as demonstrative, but sometimes follows big brothers lead. She'll be six the 29th and is all about school, projects, and sounding out words. She did tell me that she likes me better than Papa, but that will all change when he gets here and makes her belly laugh with his monkey sounds, etc. He's also a better snuggle. Hannah went to bed with a pile of books. Harrison went to bed with one, and probably finished it before he snoozed.

I hear noises downstairs and need to end this conversation with....myself (?) and you (if anybody actually reads this crazy blog) .

12/1/10

One of the biggest challenges of my life has been finding jeans that fit. One time I decided to just go ahead and spend the big bucks on name brand jeans, but they sagged and slipped after a few hours just like the cheap ones. So then, I decided to just buy my jeans from thrift stores. That way I could just take them back if they didn't work. So I would buy $3 jeans, wash them, and try them on then donate them back if they didn't fit. I also put my initials on the inside pockets so I wouldn't buy them twice.

The one time I didn't wash the "new" pair

(I was out of town without a change of clothes),

I stuck my hand in the pocket and found -

are you ready for this?

.....a condom - not in it's wrapper. Uuuuuugh.

Back to my jeans saga - I finally found the perfect fitting pair that doesn't sag, or droop, or stretch. They were $7 at Salvation Army -

NYDJ - Not Your Daughters Jeans.

Love 'em. Love 'em.

I have worn them and washed them until they are almost white.

This past week-end, I saw an ad that they were on sale so I bit the bullet and bought two new pair. Today I was looking at the tag and was pleased to see that they were made in the USA. Then I saw a big patch stuck to the inside front of the jeans.

I peeled it off and this is what it said:

"NYDJ cannot be held responsible for any positive consequence that may arise due to your fabulous appearance when wearing our jeans."

11/29/10

I stepped off Southwest Airlines 11 days ago and have spent every minute until today with at least some of my sweet family. Wow! It's been a whirlwind. I was greeted at the Midland airport by hugs and kisses and hugs and hugs and hugs - even from Hannah, who doesn't always like me. We've had a wonderful time.

Here we are avoiding bedtime by playing with Nana's new phone and taking our own portraits:

We Celebrated Holly's Birthday with brunch at

Wall Street Grill in Midland.

The buffet includes fruit and salad with the

scrumptious cinnamon rolls.

But, how can my child be the same age I think I should still be???

On our way to my house in Snyder, we drove over to

Wellman, Texas for a look at the

Extreme Home Makeover home.

We tried to volunteer,

but they had more than enough unskilled help.

It airs in January.

(Harrison, Holly, Hannah, & Yvonne)

The next day in Snyder, Holly and I set up the new booth in the Antique/Crafts Mall in Snyder.

Here are some of the soy wood wick candles Holly has been pouring into vintage containers:

Hannah stayed with me until we left for our place at San Angelo's Dove Creek

to meet the rest of the family for Thanksgiving.

The view from the hammock

hanging on the banks of

Dove Creek

was beautiful - a warm, clear, perfect day on the creek.

Thanksgiving Day when we each told what we were thankful for,

our answers were all sincerely "family".

We were so glad to be together.

The day after the turkey feast, we were without water and electricity for about an hour. Then a plumber was called to fix the clogged upstairs plumbing. While the plumber was still there, the bathtub water cascaded down through the kitchen ceiling. In this picture, the plumber is working and Holly is mopping. (note the t-shrit)

﻿

We had our own Extreme Home Makeover!

We've survived too much food, lots of love and a few old house challenges.

11/18/10

Today is my last day in Louisiana for a while (going home to take care of some business - including Holly, Harrison, and Hannah business) so this morning I grabbed my lawn chair, Bible, journal, and pen, and headed to the lake. As I watched the birds soaring and diving in the rising sun - I had a lot of random thoughts:

"What would it be like to be watching the eastern sky

and get to see Jesus coming on a cloud of glory.

I can only imagine."

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.(Luke 21:26-28)

those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles... (Isaiah 40:30-31)

"What is so peaceful and refreshing about being in the first light of the day, beside a body of water?"

His compassions never fail

- they are new every morning...

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

"But the thoughts where I parked the longest were about Jesus, withdrawing from the crowds by Himself - alone. (As in John 6:15) If Jesus (who left all his Deity and royalty behind to be totally human) needed time alone with the Father - how much more do I need that time? I can do all kinds of good works, but if I do not take time to be in His presence, I do not have the strength or power to accomplish any good work"

11/17/10

This vagabond, gypsy life we have has allowed us to cross paths with the neatest of neat people. Here in the RV park is a couple, having just returned from Singapore who are now waiting for their permanent assignment. They sold their home here when they went overseas, and are camping out here to be near friends and family. Euvah has graciously given me tours, information about the area, and rides to Walmart since I am without my truck. She is also an accomplished photographer and has a great blog.

Yesterday afternoon I was out walking and joined Euvah as she sat by the lake with her camera and paraphernalia. I am sure she would have rather had the time alone in the presence of the Creator and His creation, but I barged in anyway. Here is Euvah, sitting by the lake with her mega camera smiling at the crazy woman photographing her with a phone camera.

11/15/10

After that 2,000 mile trip, and a couple of weeks adjusting to a new job Ted was ready for a day of fun. So we headed to New Orleans for breakfast at Camellia's Grill.

Opened in 1946, and closed for 18 months after Katrina, there's usually a line outside. We sat at the counter and gorged ourselves on pecan waffles with maple syrup.

Ted's breakfast drink of choice was milkshake.

We didn't want to go to the French Quarter, but did want to see the beauty of New Orleans, so we hopped on the historic St. Charles Street Car and rode the entire loop through the garden district, commercial district, past the universities, parks, zoos, historic mansions, and back to the end of the line where the seats were flipped and the driver moved to the opposite end of the car.

On our loop, we passed a happening down a street far from Bourbon Street. So we decided to get off and check it out. It turned out to be the Po-Boy Preservation Festival

and we beat the crowds.

I think there ended up being more people there than in the entire state of North Dakota! Someone was selling t-shirts that said, "Keep Oak Street Awkward". (Not quite as catchy as "Keep Austin Weird"). But New Orleans may have beat Austin on weirdness!

Before we left, we were picking out the middles and trashing the bread - bread is just a waste of calories in my opinion.

There was music all over the place, but our favorite was 101 Runners. Don't know what their style was, but they made the crowds crazy. The lead singer was wearing what might have been a Mardi Gras Costume and played a mean tambourine.

11/11/10

Sometimes, I just wonder exactly how things work in the spirit world. The reason I say that is because of something that happened in Walmart at the milk case.

As I walked up, there was a lovely lady standing there at her buggy. She looked up at me and said, "I just lost my husband. We were married 55 years." Now, why in the world would she say that to me? After talking to her a minute, she told me that he had died September 11 of this year. That day was the 14th anniversary of Heather's death. I thought of my first grocery store trip without her and how hard it was just walking down the isle, while the other shoppers went about their business, oblivious to my pain. Heather loved to cook and had done most of our shopping for a couple of years. I asked the little widow if she and her husband had shopped together. Of course, they did.

Right there in the dairy section, that beautiful grieving lady got a prayer, a blessing and a hug. God bless all those who grieve.

Coincidence? I think not......

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

11/7/10

We just went to an amazing grocery store. It's the HEB of Texas (Hill Country Fare) and the EconoMart of North Dakota (Pride of Dakota). However, Rouse's is over the top cajun. Every thing is Zatarains, Tony Chachere's, Louisiana Hot Sauce, and Tabasco. Also, fresh shrimp, crab and crawfish in season. There's a mix for everything: etoufee, jambala, crawfish pie, beignts, red beans and rice - everything. It makes me think I can do it all! I can hardly wait to buy some fresh crab from the guy down the street and get to cooking. Mmmmmm.

10/28/10

Most of yesterday's snow was "just passin' thru" but some of it stopped at the buildings. The low temp was 16, but the wind exceeded 50 miles per hour. It was bad enough that the schools closed - they usually stay open. This is why they laugh when we say "No, we haven't spent a winter here yet."

This is our backyard - beautiful. You just can't see the WIND!

Here's the front of the house (with newly painted door and trim)

And this is after Ted said, "Your truck can make it on that road - no problem....."

I'm sure the neighbors were looking out their windows from their warm houses and chuckling, "southerners..."

10/26/10

27 years ago, as a new believer, I wondered a lot about God's will for my life. I had an idea that when God was ready to reveal it to me, He would go to the celestial library and find the scroll with my name on it. I imagined Him scratching His head as he looked through the card file, "Let's see. Cheryl Renee Patterson Floyd - born 1951 - reborn 1983-- ahhh. Here it is....." But He is so wise in not unrolling the scroll and revealing the "whole megillah", because if he had said, "Well, Renee. I'll be sending you to North Dakota in 2010 where you will pray for the sick, feed the hungry, love the unlovable, teach Sunday School in a Nazarene Church, lead a Bible Study with some precious Lutheran ladies, and sign a little" - I would run backwards. Wow. What a time I have had here....

This RV is Rocking & Rolling today and the wind is blowing the snow sideways! God is still good!

10/21/10

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

It seems that I am seeing some of my dreams and desires happening right now in this season of my life.

How many years have I sang (sing, sang, sung?) the songs: "Here am I Lord. Take my hands and take my voice and use me Lord" and "I will go Lord where you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart." And I spoke words of surrender: "I am willing to be the woman you want me to be".

A couple of years ago, I got serious about being prepared for anything God called me to do. I studied out scripture and things like "Who am I in Christ" and "What is the Kingdom of God" and "What does it mean to have favor". I journaled all I learned and all God spoke to me, as a written reminder. I learned to sign to songs. And I learned to enjoy His Presence.

As a young teen, I felt a drawing from God to be more than just a pew sitter. I walked an aisle and "surrendered my life to special service" - whatever that meant - even though I didn't really surrender my heart until many years later. When as a young tired, timid, fearful mom, I led myself through the salvation prayer, told God I'd gone where he wanted me to go and immediately saw myself standing before people. I remember saying to God, "Well, Ok. But you'll have to do it". Since then my love and passion has been studying the Word - I was like Jeremiah, "When I found your words, I ate them" and I so enjoy leading ladies Bible Studies. There have also been times, maybe even years, when I thought that God surely must be finished with me and could never use me again.

BUT GOD.

But God had a plan. Here I am now, 1300 miles from home, 99 miles from the Canadian border, in North Dakota. I am so humbled by the favor I have here. And He's given me the boldness that I have been asking for and favor I didn't ask for. I went to a Community Ladies Bible study and have been asked to lead one of the discussion groups. I am attending another study in the small town where I live, where 5 precious widow ladies are learning to study the Bible. I've found that the laundromat is a great place for witness opportunities. I've prayed for healing for a woman in a bar where she was being blessed with a fundraiser and I've prayed for other people in unlikely places. I'm volunteering at the Salvation Army and have been offered a job there. I've visited churches in Williston searching for a place to worship and be fed. One Sunday morning, I asked God where I should go. He clearly said, "If you are going to walk the streets of Alexander and pray for revival, you need to go to church here." So I have been attending the Nazarene Church and have been asked to sfill in for the Sunday School teacher for the next 4 weeks. God is doing above and beyond all I could ever think or imagine. It is so much fun!

When I look at that last paragraph, I see lots of "I" and "me", but I know that my destiny is not and will never be about me. I don't know exactly what my purpose is here, besides making disciples, but I am scattering seeds of faith, love, hope, healing, and the Word.

10/18/10

If I could only use one word to describe North Dakota culture, it would be "conservative". Conservative in dress, vehicles, food, emotions, and houses. Most wood siding houses are white with white trim. The rest are pastel colors of tan, grey, etc. A very few houses are painted with brighter colors.

I'm not sure, but I think ours is the first RED DOOR in Alexander, ND. My Texas house-flipping girlfriend, Julie, says that every house should have a red door. She would be proud. But I'll be interested to hear local comments.......

10/14/10

We hear that North Dakota winters are brutal with -30 temps and howing winds. Many RV parks close. The owner of our RV park has leased all his slots to Halliburton, who is bringing in 50 temporary housing units. So, we decided to move out of the RV into a house.....

After months of searching for winter housing we finally realized that we had come to a dead end road. If the big companies don't have the entire apartment complex rented, the waiting lists are 200. Anything listed in the paper was immediately rented to the first caller. So, we decided that we would have to just buy a little house - then we started looking. Anything in Williston (22 miles away) was terribly inflated. A tiny old, old house that needed a total redo was $75,000 or more. I put a "Wanted" poster in the Post Office at Alexander , population 300 (where the rv is parked) and ads in the paper. One afternoon we were out walking and met a local man who was out walking his dog. He stopped and said, "Are you the guy that wants to buy a house? Well, come home with me". Dave and Darlene were contemplating a move to Bismarck to be closer to children and doctors. It was a 2 story with a full basement at a good price, and we decided it would work - but Darlene decided that she just wasn't ready to leave her home. From then on Dave was on the search for us a house and pointed us in the direction of Gert's house. Gert had passed a way a fews years ago and the family had finally decided to sell the house. Now it's ours - but for the locals it will always be "Old Gert's" house -"She made the best chokecherry wine - did they leave any in the root cellar?" The 80 year old house is 800 square feet with one bedroom and a detached garage. Here's a picture:

A hedge of lilac bushes (reminds me of my grandma) grow on all four sides of the lot and there's a nice rhubarb (mmmm) garden. The family left the appliances and much of the furniture. Someone else gave us a garage full of furniture. All we lack is a new mattress and a microwave. We feel so very blessed.

Oh, the front part of the house was originally a chicken coop! Reminds of the summers my cousin Linda and I cleaned out the chicken houses so we could play house (well, this one is a little cleaner!!!!!) But I guess we are playing house!

I'll be painting an cleaning like a mad woman for a few days, then we'll transfer all this stuff over. I'll post before and after pictures. Sure wish I had some girlfriends here to help me!!

10/12/10

Most Weekends we make a short trek to the National Grasslands. The land in places seems untouched by humans. Driving is only allowed on gravel roads or two tracks - we can't just take off across the prairie. Here are some photos of our weekend adventures:

Summer in the Grasslands

Fall in the Grasslands

and I saw my first eagle there

What a majestic bird. No wonder there are references to the eagle in the Word of God.

I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

(Exodus 19:3)

He satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:5)

...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

About Me

I am a wife, mother, grandmother and daughter of the Most High God. This blog was born out of a need to keep my family and friends updated when I started following my husband and his job. The stories here are an extension of my journal as well as my Bible studies. These days, the jobs have ended and we are back on the farm. I hope what you read here encourages, blesses, and entertains you as you pass through the journeys of your life.

Following God

When the Israelites were about to leave the wilderness and cross into the land promised to them, Joshua instructed them to follow the Ark of the Covenant (God's Presence) because, "you have not passed this way before". Joshua 3:4